Jakarta still far from a city of fashion T. Sima Gunawan Contributor Jakarta

Fashion is Paris, New York and Milan. These are the three cities people all over the world refer to when they talk about the hottest new clothes.

What about Jakarta? "No way," you might say. But why not? Jakarta has many talented fashion designers and Indonesia is rich in culture that could become a never-ending source of inspiration.

"We have hundreds of traditional clothes, from Aceh to Papua," Sjamsidar Isa, chairwoman of the executive board of the Indonesian Designers Association (IPMI) says.

There are also many textile factories in the country. And many Jakarta residents are also fashion-conscious. Just take a stroll in a shopping mall and you will see many people -- especially teenagers -- in trendy outfits. Those who have money in their pockets may wear the latest piece of a designer collection, while others show off hip looking "street" clothes from outlets that cater for middle-to-lower income earners.

The idea of making Jakarta a city of fashion is not new. "I heard about the concept when I entered the fashion business in 1991," says designer Musa Widyatmodjo, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Fashion Designer Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI).

It is true the fashion industry is relatively new here. Indonesia is a young country, which only gained its independence in 1945. In the beginning life was tough and the priority of many was survival, chic clothing was out of the question.

It was not until the 1970s when the economy started to improve that the fashion industry began to develop. The emergence of modern shopping centers and women's magazines also played a role in the development of fashion.

Jakarta has turned into a metropolitan city with many people adopting a modern lifestyle -- which means keeping up with the trends.

Clothes are not now just something to cover the body, they are the individual expression of the wearer. There are a great variety of fabrics, styles, colors, designs and prices to suit the preferences of men and women, young and old alike.

Local fashion designers closely follow international trends and every year they present their creations through fashion shows held separately by the IPMI and APPMI.

However, despite its potential, Jakarta has failed to emerge as a new fashion city in the region.

One of the main problems is the lack of cooperation between fashion designers, textile manufacturers and garment producers -- all who have different ideas about how to progress the industry, Sjamsidar says.

Musa, meanwhile, is frustrated at the lack of support from retailers and the government.

Those in the textile and garment industries prefer to take orders from foreigners -- whose orders are now dropping off, he says. They are reluctant to cooperate with local designers, as the later usually run smaller-scale businesses.

Musa says that in many countries, the fashion industry developed because retailers gave designers their full support.

"For example, in a foreign country if I were to attend a textile exhibition and buy a small amount of the fabric -- the manufacturer might even give me the textiles for free. I would then produce my clothes and present them in a fashion show. The retailers would come to watch the show and if they were interested, they would give me a production order. I would then get enough money to buy the textiles on a large scale.

"But here, people who come to the fashion shows are the customers, not the retailers," Musa says.

In Indonesia, the business transaction between a retailer and a designer is based on sharing. The designer asks the retailers to sell the clothes. If they are sold, the designer gets the money, otherwise, they take home the unsold items.

As a designer and small-scale entrepreneur, Musa produces clothes that are made to order as well as ready-to-wear items. He also makes traditional textiles -- woven products -- in his workshop. He took on the venture solo because textile manufacturers did not want to cooperate on a small scale.

"Here in Indonesia, fashion designers walk alone. So, I am skeptical about the idea of making Jakarta a city of fashion. At least, there is no way it will be realized in the near future. Maybe 30 years from now, but I don't know how things will be then," he says.

Sjamsidar, who is also executive director of Studio One public relations and an event organizer, agrees that it will not be easy to realize this dream. Milan, she says, took 50 years before it became a city of fashion.

Jakarta has the resources to develop a strong fashion industry but the players have many problems to solve, she says.

Djadin Djamaludin, vice chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association, says textile manufacturers also want to encourage the fashion industry. But, he admits, they have a different focus from the designers.

"Fashion designers are artists who put weight on freedom of expression, while we are more business and marketing oriented. What if the products don't sell?" he says. "The designers should be willing to compromise and restrain their egos."

That is not entirely wrong, says Sjamsidar. But, she says, things will only work if both parties sit down together and compromise to find a win-win solution.

It seems that Jakarta cannot celebrate becoming a city of fashion yet, even if the designers and manufacturers are all dressed up -- and ready to party.

After all, it takes two to tango.